When I look back on the schwarzbiers (black lagers) here on the Nib, I noticed they're all locally produced, Minnesota or Wisconsin. Oh, wait, and that one from Brazil. I'm a bit surprised that I haven't had any German versions in the five or so years. Luckily, the Sample Man came through with a bottle of the classic Kostritzer Schwarzbier, and look over here, it's a review on BeerAdvocate.com from October of 2003. Let's look at a picture of the beer I had yesterday, and my notes from 12 1/2 years ago...12 oz. bottle, the one that features Goethe reclining with a glass of this same beer in his legendary, literary hands.
Appearance: nearly black in color, though transparent in spots, and reddish brown at bottom, with a fat, fuzzy, creamy tan head.
Aroma: soft, sweet, cocoa-y, hints of gentle spices, nutty, earthy, with further notes of espresso & chocolate.
Taste: thick malt dominates the profile here, with a soft texture, after some initial play on the palate. Very creamy, nice taste.
But alas, the good bits don't last terribly long. It thins out, becomes tinny, metallic, feels altogether too light.
A very nice schwarzbier, very smooth mellow, but I've had better. Or more to the point, "bigger." Good for what it is, though.
Looking back, I'm trying to remember which "bigger, better" schwarzbiers I've had before then. It's not coming to me.
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